There was quite a bit of contention among the
Lord's disciples about who would be the greatest in His kingdom. He was nearing
the end of his earthly advent so he taught them a lesson concerning greatness
just before his departure.

In my classes and in my articles I have tried to
stress the importance of "studying in context." This has to do with
"who, what, when, where, how and why." So for our text today look at
John 13:4-17: the story of feet washing. In context you will see that Jesus was
talking, specifically, to his disciples. We have the question that Jesus asked
these men in verse 12: "Know ye what I have done to you?" The obvious
answer would be, "Lord, you have washed our feet." But he had done
much more than that. He had taught them his final lesson concerning who would
be greatest.

I knew a brother in the Port Arthur area who
believed that Jesus was teaching us, today, to engage in a ceremonial washing
of one another's feet. There are groups of others in the religious world that
believe the same thing. And the Roman pope engages in such a ceremony once in
awhile. I have never been to a foot-washing ceremony but others who have
visited such, gave me some details of what takes place. First, no one engages
himself in this ceremony if his feet are really dirty. He washes his feet very
thoroughly before the ceremony. But Jesus said, "He that is washed needeth
not save to wash his feet" (vs 10). Only the feet got dirty walking in the
dust with the ever-present sandals of that day and it was an act of hospitality
for water to be provided and, usually, for the servants to wash a traveller's
dusty feet. Jesus rebuked Simon for not providing for this hospitable act in
Luke 7:44 "... he ... said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered
into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my
feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head." So, Jesus was
washing dirty feet. Second, in this ceremonial washing they wash only one foot.
Hence, it is literally "foot-washing," not "feet- washing."

So, what was Jesus doing? Was he giving them an
order to hold a feet- washing ceremony? No, he was teaching them an explicit
lesson they needed so badly. None of them was to be above the other. They were
to serve one another and thus would their greatness be measured.

Notice the closing part of the story: (John
13:12-17) "So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments,
and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye
call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and
Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I
have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily,
verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he
that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are
ye if ye do them."

Remember the context. Jesus teaching them
"that was sent" (the apostles), a needed lesson and, perhaps, a
lesson that we need also. Not a lesson in ceremonies, but a lesson in humility
and greatness.